Simultaneous observation of VHF radio wave transmission anomaly propagated beyond line of site prior to earthquakes in multiple sites

The VHF radio wave transmission anomalies propagated beyond line of site prior to earthquakes (M>4), (hereafter termed EQ-echo) have been observed more than 20 times from 2004 at the Erimo observatory (ERM) in Hokkaido, Northern Japan. A statistical relationship between magnitude of preceding earthquake and total duration time of the EQ-echo has been proposed (Moriya et al.2009). To confirm a region where the EQ-echo simultaneously observed for each earthquake, we installed another 3 observatory with approximately 5 km spacing in the surroundings of ERM. The EQ-echoes have been observed simultaneously at two observatories prior to four earthquakes since 2008. The initial time and duration of each EQ echo were same time in several cases but different at some minutes each other in other cases. The wave forms of the EQ-echoes were similar in both records. In the Fuyushima observatory (FYS, 10km away from ERM) , three-way antennas were installed at every 120 degree to detect an arrival direction of EQ-echoes. Simultaneous observations of EQ-echoes at ERM and FYS for the preceding EQ (M=4.7) that occurred in the Hidaka mountains revealed that this EQ-echo came from direction of the epicenter based on the FYS observation and this direction was consistent with that of EQ-echo observed simultaneously in ERM. Although some of simultaneous observed EQ-echoes were observed in same time completely at both observatories, but some of them were with time rag of duration of each EQ-echo between multiple observed sites. We discussed what these time rags mean by considering possibilities of moving of scattering objects, generation of a radio duct, and so on, as in response to this fact.